Trial and Error
by kuroaiko2014
Summary: Luna/Draco pre-story to introduce the next generation. Can the daughter of Lovegood and Malfoy be friends with the son of Weasley and Johnson? Will Pandora and Fred II be the new dynamic duo after Albus and Scorpius? **Do not own HP** QLFC Season 3 Round 8(chapter 2)
1. Chapter 1

**_Trial and Error_**

Luna sighed as she shifted through a stack of parchment on her desk in her office. She had long since decided that the desk in her classroom wasn't conducive to completing her grading. She wrote a large 'A' across the top of the Slytherin essay and heaved another sigh, whining under her breath, "Grading can be so boring."

A chuckle from the doorway jolted her and caused her to fling up her arm, wand trained on the intruder. "Easy there, Luna. I'm here because you asked to speak with me about Scorpius." Draco Malfoy was leaning in the doorway, wand still in the holster on his thigh.

His easy posture made Luna relax slightly, before she sat back down in her chair. She gestured to the seat across the desk from her. "Take a seat, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco sat down and noted with weary amusement that Luna still held her wand in her hand. "You can call me Draco, you know. It's not like we aren't-"

Luna cut him off and began speaking, "Mr. Malfoy, we are here to discuss the disruptive behavior and declining grades of your son, Scorpius. Please stay on task." She straightened up the stacks of parchment and pulled out three essays and held them out for Draco to take. "Scorpius has been causing disruptions in his classes, and has started turning in nearly failing assignments. I'm not the only one noticing this decline. Why do you think he is acting out, Mr. Malfoy?" Luna stopped and looked at Draco.

Draco frowned while he read through the essays, but at Luna's last question, he snorted. "His mother won't speak to me."

Luna blinked, and stuttered out, "Err, what?"

Draco laughed, "I'll bet that he did this on purpose. He may take after me in cunning, but he is as brilliant as his mother."

Luna looked at Draco startled. "I don't understand..."

Draco leaned his chair back on two legs and smirked. "Scorpius knows that his mother takes her job very seriously. He's been waiting patiently for her to get into the swing of things to spring this on her."

Luna gasped and whispered, "You think he's been planning to act out and do poorly? Why?"

Draco shrugged again and dropped his chair back onto all four legs with a thud. "She was mad at me for the inexcusable way I started acting towards her and my son."

"What do you mean?"

"l had been fighting with her before my last assignment. Then once I left, I avoided her for several months, dodging floo calls and evading her owls." Draco looked at Luna and smiled ruefully.

Luna arched an eyebrow, "Why are you bringing this up now? You were the one who started to pick those fights without provocation!" Luna bit out harshly, turning her head away to stare out her window.

Draco sighed and shook his head as he muttered under his breath, "People have an annoying habit of remembering things they shouldn't." Louder, he added, "Do you even understand why I did what I did, Luna? The people we were after would have come after you and Scorpius had they known we were still together."

Luna shook her head, and snapped out, "We've been married for thirteen years, Draco Malfoy! Those people you were after would have known that your charade was just that, a charade! You should have told me so I could protect us better."

Draco angrily launched to his feet, and shouted, "I did what I had to so I could keep my family safe! The Head Auror told my partner and I that the people we were after would kill our families, forcing us to watch as they brutalized them, before killing us if we failed to subdue them. Did you honestly think I could just leave you and Scorpius so easily?"

Luna glared at Draco, and practically snarled at him, "You left me, _and our son_ , nearly seven months ago, Draco. You just said yourself that you were actively avoiding me! Did you not think that maybe I had something important to say to you?" Luna took a deep breath before continuing her tirade, "I don't have the fortitude to deal with you leaving and I can't handle not knowing if you are going to return to me anymore. Scorp is scared he's going to lose you, and if we do," Luna took a shuddering breath and stood up, canceling the charm that kept her pregnant belly hidden, "your son and wife won't be the only ones to mourn you."

Draco stumbled around the desk and dropped to his knees before his wife.

"You...when...how?" Draco stuttered out, placing his hands on her stomach.

Luna placed her hands over Draco's and responded, "When you came back from the assignment in Peru. You were only home for two weeks, but it was long enough. How can you be so happy about this?"

"Happy? My wife is pregnant with my child. How could I not be?!" Draco exclaimed as he hugged Luna's waist.

Luna started to cry, "You left us! Don't you leave me because you think I'm not worth it anymore? You leave me and Scorp as often as you can, for as long as you can, and I-"

Draco interjected, releasing her to stand and look her in her eyes, "I will always love you, and our children. I completed my last mission with the Aurors. I won't do this to my family anymore. I am resigning to take full control of Malfoy Industries from my mother. I won't ever leave you, Scorpius, or our new little one, again."

Luna nodded and wrapped her arms around her husband crying. Luna choked out, "Scorpius, come out and greet your father."

Scorpius shuffled through the doors from his mother's private rooms and stopped several paces from his parents. "I'm sorry I was bad, Mother. I just wanted Father to come back," Scorpius said quietly, clenching his hands and bowing his head.

Draco laughed, "Scorp, all you did was make us realize that we were being stubborn. Come here and let me look at you," Draco said, causing Scorpius to walk over and into his parents embrace.

"I missed you Father," Scorpius whispered as he hugged his parents.

"I missed you as well." Draco's tone became stern however, when he added, "You will make up your work with your Professors, Scorpius Xenophilius Malfoy."

Scorpius nodded dutifully, "Yes, Father."

Draco looked at his family and smiled, "I won't ever leave you again. From now on, we will be a real family."

* * *

True to his word, Draco resigned from the Auror Department and started learning the ropes to Malfoy Industries from his mother. Narcissa was happy to finally be free to travel and get away from the company that she had never wanted to run in the first place.

Luna and Draco started spending more time together and opened up more to each other. The only time they had problems since their mini fight in her office that they had was the day Pandora Aurora Malfoy was born.

Draco hadn't known how well-versed his wife was in wandless hexes until his daughter was born, and he vowed to never actively get on her bad side ever again.

Scorpius adored his new sister and went to great lengths to make it to see his mother and sister on breaks at school. Scorpius' assignments returned to his high standard of completion and he had no more outbursts in class to lose points or earn detentions. He graduated, four years later, at the top of his class, with Outstanding Achievements in Charms and Potions.

Luna retired two years after Scorpius graduated to stay at home with Pandora who still had five more years before she started at Hogwarts.

* * *

The day Pandora started Hogwarts, she turned to her brother for help. "Scor, I'm afraid. What if no one wants to be my friend?" Pandora's blue eyes begged for reassurance as she confided in her brother.

Scorpius knelt down to hug her goodbye. "Don't worry, Pan," Scorpius soothed his sister, "If I know anything, it's that you will always have friends at Hogwarts. Look," he picked her up and swung her around to face his best friend of fourteen years. "Albus Potter, please tell Pan that she will have friends in school."

Albus laughed and whispered in Pandora's ear while Scorpius still held her, "If you find someone to share a compartment with on the train this first trip, you will be friends for life. It worked for my parents, and it worked for me and Scorpius. I'm passing the luck onto you now!" He kissed her cheek and spoke once more, "Don't worry. My cousin is starting his first year too."

Pandora giggled and hugged the two boys before Scorpius put her back down and she ran onto the train. "Goodbye, Scor! Goodbye, Al! Goodbye, Mum and Dad!" Pandora waved through the window and went in search of a compartment. Since Pandora was little, she had heard the stories about her parents' time in Hogwarts- how her dad and mum weren't always friends, but overcame their differences to love and protect each other. Her brother and Albus had told her of all the pranks they pulled and hi-jinks they got into in school, including the time Scorpius had managed to get their parents to reconcile. The trial and error that he went through before settling on the plan he used always amused her greatly. That had always been her favorite story, but now, it was time to start her own. The first thing she was going to do? Find the cousin of one Albus Severus Potter.

* * *

 **A/N I originally wrote this chapter (with some edits to take out my prompts for the round) as a one-shot for the QLFC Season 3 Round 1, but decided to make it into a mini series. Chapter 2 is my entry for the QLFC Season 3 Round 8. **stay tuned!****


	2. Chapter 2

_**Round 8 Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition**_

 _ **Position: Beater 1**_

 _ **Prompt: Fred Weasley II**_

 _ **2\. (quote) 'Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever' - Keri Russell**_

 _ **9\. (colour) periwinkle**_

 _ **Trial and Error 2: Pandora to the Rescue**_

 **(Fred's POV)**

 _I remembered my cousin telling me to not run rampant at school, but if this obnoxious bat of a girl didn't get off my case_... I bowed my head in an attempt to make the girl hush and leave, but it didn't work. I glared at the girl's disgustingly bright periwinkle blue dress paired with gaudy white mary janes. _I think Albus lied to me. I won't find any friends here._ I looked up at the girl defiantly, "Leave me alone!"

"You still don't get the social ladder," she quipped before yelling some more.

I sighed and rubbed my temples. _This is going to be a long day._

 **(Pandora's POV)**

I pulled back into the Hogwarts Express as it started moving. Leona, my cat, twined through my feet as I walked down the passageway. "Come, Leona. Let's see if we can find this cousin, shall we?"

Leona blinked her violet eyes, then jumped gracefully onto my shoulder. ' _Do we know if it's a Weasley or a Granger we are looking for?_ '

I nodded, and whispered to my cat quietly so no one walking past us could hear, "Aunt Hermione is an only child, so it's a Weasley for sure. I just don't know which one had a baby around the time _I_ was born. Ginny and Harry. Hermione and Ron. Bill and Fleur. Charlie never married. George and Angelina. Fred and Percy...they didn't survive the final battle." I took a steadying breath as I reached the carriages with private compartments. I glanced into each as we walked past, coming to a stop outside of one where I could see Hope Zabini picking on a boy a few inches shirted than her with bright blue eyes and startlingly black hair. When he flinched back from Hope, the sun hit his hair showing that it wasn't the pure black that I first though, but rather a deep red. I slid the door open and leaned against it. "Hope." My voice was devoid of emotion as I stared down my friend.

Hope took a step back from the boy. "Oh...hey, Pan." She rubbed her arm self-consciously as I shifted my attention to the boy.

"Leave, Hope," I said, eyes still focused on the boy before me.

"Umm," Hope looked back at the boy.

My eyes flicked to the girl. "I'll tell Aunt Pansy that you were picking on someone before we even made it to the castle if you don't leave now."

Hope gulped, and bolted out the door.

The boy watched, confusion etched on his face. "I don't understand," he said quietly.

I stepped away from the door and allowed it to close. When I moved towards the boy, his eyes flashed and he backed away. "Sorry," I said quietly as I sat near the door to give him space. Leona hopped off my shoulder and onto the luggage rack. I gazed at the boy and smiled. "You remind me of my brother's best friend. I didn't want you to think that Hogwarts is a bad place."

 **(Fred's POV)**

 _I wish this girl would leave me alone!_ My train of thought derailed when I saw the door to the compartment I had secluded myself in before the dark-haired crazy girl had invaded, opened. A blonde girl with dark blue eyes, maybe a few inches taller than I leaned against the door frame and observed the girl as she kept pushing me. I tilted my head up and glared at the dark-haired girl, not that she noticed. _Just go away you annoying little-_

"Hope," the girl in the doorway spoke. Her voice was soft.

The dark haired girl, now identified as 'Hope' took a step away from me and crossed her arms, rubbing her left arm with her right hand as she looked apprehensively at the blonde in the doorway. "Oh...hey, Pan," she stuttered out.

"Leave, Hope," the blonde spoke again.

"Umm," Hope's eyes shifted to me before darting back up at the other girl.

"I'll tell Aunt Pansy that you were picking on someone before we even made it to the castle is you don't leave now." The blonde glanced at Hope.

Hope gulped, then bolted out the door.

I watched, feeling my face contort into a look of confusion. "I don't understand." The words seemed to be drawn out of me.

The blonde stepped away from the door and it closed behind her. She stepped closer to me, and my head snapped up as I backed away from her. "Sorry," the girl said as she took a step back and sat near the door. As she sat, her cat leaped from her shoulder onto the luggage rack. She looked at me and smiled. Her smile nearly dazzled me, but her next words made my confusion come back. "You remind me of my brother's best friend. I didn't want you to think Hogwarts is a bad place."

I looked up at that. "One person won't make me form an opinion on a place that my parents love." My voice dropped so low I didn't think the girl would hear, "Even if my uncles did die there."

The girl sucked in a breath and I knew I hadn't been as quiet at I thought.

"Sorry," I blurted out. "I know that a lot of people lost family in the Final Battle. It's just, my family was pretty much the heart of the fight." I looked at her sheepishly. "I'm Fred Weasley II."

The blonde blinked and let out a short laugh, "No way. I did _not..._ I'm sorry. You're Fred...Fred...Weasley?"

I arched an eyebrow and crossed my arms. "That's me. Who are _you_ anyways?"

The girl smiled brightly. "I'm Pandora! Al told me about you! Well, not you _per se..._ he said that he had a cousin starting this year. I was freaking out because the only person I know is Hope, and she's not the nicest girl you could meet. I was afraid I wouldn't have any other friends. _Real_ friends. But Al and Scorp said that I would so..." She cut off. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling. Mum does that sometimes and I seem to have inherited it from her."

I narrowed my gaze as I sat down. "Scorpius? He came over a few times with Albus." I tilted my head. "You're Pandora _Malfoy_."

Pandora's eyes went wide and her cat jumped into her lap hissing at me.

"I don't mean it as a bad thing! I know that Mr Malfoy was on the Light Side!" I raised my hands in an 'I surrender' pose, "I'm sorry." I ducked my head and looked at Pandora through my fringe.

The cat looked up at the blonde, then curled up in her lap. Pandora sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "It's fine." She smirked, "But now that I know you're _Fred..._ Wanna take on your father's legacy and be a prankster with me?"

I gaped at the girl, "Be a prankster? Like my father and... my namesake?"

Pandora nodded and grinned mischievously, "Al and Scorp taught me many things, but you...you have the very blood of the Weasley twins in your veins. You don't need to decide right this moment. We can just be normal friends for now. Sometimes it's the smallest decisions that can change your life forever. Don't make a snap decision." Her eyes sparkled.

We train rolled to a stop and we stood up, pulling on our robes. "Good luck at the sorting," she said, she disappeared out the door with her cat before I could form a response.

 **(Pandora's POV)**

We've listened to the Sorting Hat's song, and now we're being sorted.

"Pandora Malfoy." A hush fell over the Hall as I stepped forward. I sat on the rickety stool and the Hat settled over my pale hair. I locked eyes with Fred, standing near the back of the line. " **Ravenclaw**!" I grinned and took the Hat off to skip to my table. I patted Fred on the shoulder as I passed him to sit with my new year mates.

The next several students went to Hufflepuff. Finally I heard, "Fred Weasley II."

"Please, please, please," I heard myself mutter.

He sat on the stool. The Sorting Hat was put on his head. A few seconds later, the Sorting Hat shouted.

* * *

 **A/N So? What do we think?**


End file.
